O's Rodriguez headlines Players of the Month

Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in each of the 11 leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system.

International League (Triple-A)

Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino batted .320/.393/.804 and led the league in runs (27), RBIs (35), home runs (12), slugging percentage (.804) and OPS (1.197). He was fourth in hits (31) and doubles (nine). He homered in consecutive games twice and homered in three consecutive games to end the month. Pasquantino, 24, was selected by Kansas City in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion University.

Norfolk Tides (Orioles) right-hander Grayson Rodriguez went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in six starts. He led the league in innings pitched (32) and strikeouts (48) and allowed eight runs on 20 hits. He held opponents to a .177 average in May. Rodriguez, 22, was selected by Baltimore in the first round (11th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)

Salt Lake Bees (Angels) first baseman David MacKinnon batted .344/.436/.656 and led the league in hits (33). He finished second in RBIs (25) and total bases (63) and was third in runs (22), fourth in home runs (seven) and fifth in average (.344) and walks (16). He had nine multi-hit games, including four three-hit games and a four-hit game. MacKinnon, 27, was selected by Los Angeles (AL) in the 32nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Hartford.

Salt Lake Bees (Angels) left-hander Jake Kalish went 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in four starts. He allowed 15 hits and three walks while striking out 27 in 25 2/3 innings. He held opponents to a .172 average. Kalish, 30, was originally selected by Kansas City in the 32nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of George Mason University.

Eastern League (Double-A)

Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) outfielder Kerry Carpenter batted .411/.471/.922 and led the league in hits (37), runs (27), RBIs (29), home runs (13), average (.411), total bases (83), on-base percentage (.471), slugging percentage (.922) and OPS (1.393). His 83 total bases and 13 home runs in May led Minor League Baseball. He had two nine-game hitting streaks, 10 multi-hit games and reached safely in 22 of 24 games. Carpenter, 24, was selected by Detroit in the 19th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Virginia Tech University.

Akron RubberDucks (Guardians) left-hander Joey Cantillo went 2-0 and did not allow a run in five outings (four starts) covering 22 innings. He allowed 10 hits and walked four while striking out 33 and holding opponents to a .135 average. He struck out 13.5 batters per nine innings and, in his last 13 innings, he allowed three hits and two walks while striking out 23. Cantillo, 22, was selected by San Diego in the 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Kailua High School in Kailua, Hawaii.

Southern League (Double-A)

Birmingham Barons (White Sox) shortstop Lenyn Sosa batted .351/.388/.649 and led the league in hits (39), runs (22), RBIs (26), total bases (72) and triples (two). He finished second in home runs (eight) and slugging percentage (.649), third in average (.351) and sixth in OPS (1.037). His 39 hits tied San Jose’s Vaun Brown for the most in Minor League Baseball in May and he posted 11 multi-hit games. Sosa hit safely in 16 consecutive games from May 4–21. Sosa, 22, was signed by Chicago as an International Free Agent out of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, on July 2, 2016.

Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) right-hander Taj Bradley pitched to a 1.06 ERA in four starts and held opponents to a .109 average as he allowed six hits and six walks over 17 innings. He struck out 23 batters. Bradley, 21, was selected by Tampa Bay in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Texas League (Double-A)

Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) infielder Enmanuel Valdez batted .367/.453/.653 and finished second in the league in hits (36), total bases (64) and on-base percentage (.453). He was third in RBIs (26) and OPS (1.106), fourth in average (.367), home runs (six) and slugging percentage (.653) and fifth in runs (25) and doubles (10). He recorded 12 multi-hit games and had two eight-game hitting streaks. Valdez, 23, was signed by Houston as an International Free Agent out of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2015.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) left-hander Drew Parrish went 3-1 with a 0.59 ERA in five starts. He threw a league-high 30 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .144 average as he allowed just two earned runs on 15 hits and four walks while striking out 29. Parrish, 24, was selected by Kansas City in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Florida State University.

Midwest League (High-A)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) outfielder Tristan Peters batted .319/.405/.596 and led the league in runs (23) and triples (five) and was second in hits (30) and total bases (56). He finished third in average (.319) and OPS (1.001) and walked more times (15) than he struck out (13). He recorded nine multi-hit games and reached base in 23 of the 25 games he started. Peters, 22, was selected by Milwaukee in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Southern Illinois University.

Dayton Dragons (Reds) right-hander Joe Boyle went 1-0 with a 1.09 ERA in five starts. He allowed just eight hits and three runs while striking out 34 in 24 2/3 innings. He held opponents to a .101 average and struck out 12.4 batters per nine innings. Boyle, 22, was selected by Cincinnati in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Notre Dame.

Northwest League (High-A)

Everett AquaSox (Mariners) infielder Justin Lavey batted .347/.419/.507 and led the league in average (.347), hits (26), runs (19) and on-base percentage (.419). He was second in doubles (seven) and OPS (.926), was fourth in total bases (38) and sixth in slugging percentage (.507). Lavey, 24, was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 39th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville.

Eugene Emeralds (Giants) left-hander Kyle Harrison did not allow a run in three starts before a May 24 promotion to Double-A Richmond. Harrison allowed eight hits and five walks in 14 innings as opponents batted .163 against him. He struck out 27 batters (17.36 per nine innings). Harrison, 20, was selected by San Francisco in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of De La Salle High School in Concord, California.

South Atlantic League (High-A)

Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates) outfielder Matt Gorski batted .328/.408/1.000 and led the league in home runs (12), RBIs (23), total bases (61), slugging percentage (1.000) and OPS (1.408). He had separate two, three and four-game homer streaks in May. He homered three times on May 22 against Bowling Green and was promoted to Double-A Altoona the following day. Gorski, 24, was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Indiana University.

Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles) right-hander Carlos Tavera pitched to a 0.41 ERA in four starts and allowed just six hits and five walks in 18 1/3 innings. He held opponents to a league-low .098 average and struck out 26 batters (12.8 per nine innings). Tavera, 23, was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas-Arlington.

California League (Single-A)

San Jose Giants outfielder Vaun Brown batted .448/.538/.885 and led the league in hits (39), runs (25), average (.448), on-base percentage (.538), slugging percentage (.885) and OPS (1.423). He finished second in triples (three) and home runs (nine) and was fourth in stolen bases (14) and fifth in RBIs (15). He hit safely in 19 of 22 games and recorded 14 multi-hit games. Brown, 23, was selected by the Giants in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Florida Southern College.

San Jose Giants right-hander Mason Black went 1-0 and did not allow a run in four starts, covering 19 2/3 innings. He only allowed two runners to reach third base in May as he scattered 12 hits and three walks while striking out 22. Opponents batted .169 against him before he was promoted to High-A Eugene on May 24, where he then set a career-high with 10 strikeouts in his debut for the Emeralds. Black, 22, was selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Lehigh University.

Carolina League (Single-A)

Fredericksburg Nationals outfielder Jeremy De La Rosa batted .372/.433/.553 and led the league in hits (35), average (.372) and was second in total bases (52). He finished fourth in on-base percentage (.433) and OPS (.986) and fifth in stolen bases (10). De La Rosa recorded 12 multi-hit games and hit safely in 19 of 24 games. De La Rosa, 20, was signed by Washington as an International Free Agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2018.

Charleston RiverDogs (Rays) right-hander Austin Vernon pitched to a 0.44 ERA in five relief outings. He allowed just nine hits and one earned run in 20 1/3 innings while walking six and striking out 34. Vernon held opponents to a .129 average while striking out 15.1 batters per nine innings. Vernon, 23, was selected by Tampa Bay in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of North Carolina Central University.

Florida State League (Single-A)

Dunedin Blue Jays outfielder Gabriel Martinez batted .367/.404/.694 and led the league in average (.367), hits (36), runs (25), RBIs (28), home runs (eight), total bases (68), slugging percentage (.694) and OPS (1.098). Martinez recorded 13 multi-hit games and hit safely in 23 of 24 games (separate hitting streaks of 12 and 11 games) before leaving the final game of the month with an injury. Martinez, 19, was signed by Toronto as an International Free Agent out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, on July 24, 2018.

Dunedin Blue Jays right-hander Dahian Santos went 2-1 with a 0.83 ERA in five starts. He allowed just five hits and two earned runs over 21 2/3 innings while striking out a league-best 43 batters. He held opponents to a .074 batting average. Santos, 19, was signed by Toronto as an International Free Agent out of Acarigua, Venezuela, on July 2, 2019.